In the Kitchen with Chef T

I don't know about everyone else, but I grew up in a household where cooking was a requirement if you wanted to eat. Unfortunately for many Millennials, cooking is a lost art and it's leaving the next generation in bad shape. Without cooking skills, we turn to other alternatives... like greasy, high in sodium, msg and hormone filled, artificial food substitutes. One chef is changing how our children see food and is teaching them to embrace the art of cooking or better yet know by kids as being allowed to play with their food.

With a gracious donation from Central Co-op, Chef Tarik Abdullah has been able to teach a free 6-week cooking course to Seattle children between the ages of 6-14. Kids have learned kitchen etiquette (i.e. clean while you go), and taken trips around the world. They've experienced Spain by making empanadas from scratch, and experienced Italy by making pizza and pasta from scratch. The 11-14 year olds even stepped up their lessons by learning how to properly sear scallops. Chef T isn't the only chef handing down the art of cooking.

With a number of urban farms around the city, there is an abundance of locally grown produce. If we won't to change the food culture for our children and how it affects their lifestyles and health, we need to start by teaching them what real food looks like and installing a sense of pride in preparing their own meal. While you are looking up cooking classes that fit your schedule and budget, take advantage of the produce provided by local urban farms and try out the recipes below (courtesy of Budget Bytes).